Beer: Reviews & Ratings

If reminiscence were part of the point system here, this beer would get 5's all-around. With a brewery visit to Montheith's while on the West Coast of New Zealand, some things will never leave my conscious being, and I can say with almost complete certainty that that will be one of them. I actually visited twice over a two day period! That is saying something about either the beer or the town. I dunno.

As for the specifics, I am reminded, while drinking this beer, why I tend to shy away from Porters. Barrel Aged or not, I can't tell the difference, probably due to my affection towards Hoppier styled ales. Regardless though, I can appreciate it's color, which was almost complete Black upon some glances, and switching to a dark Brown on other takes. Maybe it was the light, maybe it way my eyes, but it had that Porter appearance, through and through.

The smell came out of the bottle strong, and stayed robust until the last sip, not loosing anything either though travel or babysitting. In fact, as time went on, notes of flavor became more clear, the whole while though, never loosing that base on which it was concocted.

The same can be said for both the taste and mouthfeel, that during the process of drinking it, I felt like our conversation was growing, where at first, it was an awkward introduction. With 6.5% doing its thang, I grew to like the beer, but again, cannot say that it persuaded me to join the Porter delegation. Having a second one woulda been a challenge, but being a professional, I am sure I coulda handled it.

When in New Zealand, I went with this souvenir since it was part of the "Brewer's Series". I am glad I did, as it was one of the options not offered on tap at the brewery, and I wanted something different. I think maybe next to a fire, a novel, and a girlfriend, this beer might have been better, but standing alone, it merely brought back memories of my time in Greymouth, as opposed to opening up new paths towards a Porter-infused future... (1,993 characters)

500ml bottle at 31 IBU with BB date of June 2014“conditioned in American oak pinot noir barrels"

Pours nearly black with a small head that soon reduces to a ring. Good lacing, nonetheless.Enticing, sweet aroma has hints of dark fruits, wood, and smoke.The flavor is very good, but not quite up to the expectations set by the superb aroma. Fruity and complex, with hints of cherries, dates, raisins, oak and chocolate. Barrel aging is not over-done but instead used to good effect. Nice toffee+dark malts + dark fruits aftertaste. O: Yum. a fine aged porter worth seeking out. (582 characters)

A very nice beer that was full of flavour but a little too sweet for my palate

aroma: chocolate, spice and slight oak. Very good aroma that lasted throughout.

Taste: A big range that varied as it warmed up. chocolate and spice were the predominate flavours with a small proportion of red wine, brown sugar, coffee, lemon and oak.

A very good beer that would be excellent when shared - excellent dessert option. Could also be savoured and sipped on like a port. Personally found it a bit too sweet to have in large quantities. (529 characters)

Appearance -Dark, clear red-orange colour. More red than brown.Forms a thick head - approx. 2 fingers, which dissipates to a thin, mocha coloured film. Leaves a little bit of lacing.Not much effervescence can be observed.

Taste -Mostly chocolate, coffee, and wine smoothness. There's a hint of sourness (being dry hopped), with a hint of strawberry and oak. The wine character grows as the beer warms. The alcohol content could be a bit more hidden, and the flavours are a bit watered down.

Mouthfeel -Little effervescence, light body, slightly creamy.

Overall -Plenty of nice flavours and aromas to enjoy. Tried it on holiday in NZ, and had to do a proper tasting when I found it back home. A nice example of a porter overall and very easy to drink on a winter's day - not too heavy. Only let down by a slightly watered down flavour and mouthfeel - I was expecting more given the strong aromas. Excellent at its price point though. (1,077 characters)

Not the biggest fan of this brewery but I like this style so much I had to try it and pours a ruby red hue with a one finger head which quickly vanishes to leave some slight lacing around the rim,the smell is ripe dark fruits,a slight touch of Pinot noir intertwined with some light oak and milk chocolate,the mouthfeel is medium bodied and overcarbonated and on taste the Pinot noir oak ageing isn't apparent as on the nose and the tastes are milky chocolate,dark fruits,dark chewy malts,strawberries and finished with a salted caramel bittersweetness and overall Im a big fan of this style but this one needs work in a few departments and no standout but in its defence at its price it's a nice session brew but don't expect it to light ur world on fire cheers. (763 characters)

A - Poured deep red/brown with one finger of light brown head. Light gets through so it's not exactly black. Mild lace, film retention.

S - Chocolatey, grapey, really mild.

T - Chocolate was the first flavour present, followed by an oaky, vinous, pinot noir character that added a neat layer of complexity. Sugar was present as well. Fairly sweet. Wine character increased quite a bit as time elapsed and porter's chocolatey character was put on the backburner.

M - Good mild carbonation with a medium to full body and a dry vinous finish.

O/D - Alright porter. Nice contribution from the barrels but it seemed to overpower the porter base that didn't really contribut enough. Went down easy enough and tasted alright but I couldn't have another. (808 characters)